Iron and Blood: A Triumph of the Will

They said they'd arrive at six o'clock, but at five-thirty...

Wadsław couldn't wait to arrive at Posen's official residence.

He arrived here a few days ago as a member of the German Empire, and now he will be the future Chief Justice of the Supreme Court of Poland.

A German-made Mercedes-Benz slowly drove in. Before the car had even come to a complete stop, Władysław, who was sitting in it, eagerly jumped off and ran into the German Governor's residence in Posen.

"Your Excellency, Member of Parliament?" He was greeted by the Governor's secretary, who looked at Władysław with surprise. "Didn't you and the Governor have an appointment to meet at six o'clock?"

"Why are you here so soon?"

It's only 5:30 now.

Władysław didn't answer the question; instead, he gave him a cold glare.

He walked arrogantly toward the restaurant.

But when he pushed open the door, the secretary was already standing next to Tepkamer, who was eating.

"Have you eaten?" Tepkamer asked in an unusually calm tone. "If not, you can sit down and have something to eat."

"You can just give me one."

Władysław hadn't eaten dinner yet, so he simply sat down.

Normally, Władysław would sit to the left or right of the host, but today he made an exception and sat opposite the German governor.

Tepkamer had already finished eating and had a cigarette afterward.

His actions contrasted sharply with Vadizław's ravenous eating; he appeared quite composed.

In fact, he had already completed half of his mission. Now all he needed to do was put on a poker face and wait for the surprise from Joachim.

......

As of now, Breslau's train station has been sealed off.

All passenger transport was ordered to cease, and all trains were ordered to be emptied, reportedly except for the essential train operating staff.

All irrelevant people were driven out, so now the once bustling train station is unusually quiet.

Only a few dozen military trucks remained on the train platform.

Joachim jumped out of the cab of a truck; the swaying vehicle made him feel dizzy and nauseous.

Therefore, he only had one assessment of such vehicles: they were not meant to carry people.

Wolf jumped out of the passenger seat on the other side, patting Joachim on the back and handing him water.

"Let the soldiers get moving."

After taking a sip, Joachim felt much better.

He handed the kettle back to the other man and instructed Manstein, who was walking towards him, "News has come from Posen; they have stabilized the Poles."

"So tonight is a decisive moment for us, and also a moment to tell our soldiers not to think about whether our cause is righteous or evil."

"Because they are Germans, and Germans are soldiers who are about to go to the battlefield."

"Obeying orders is a soldier's duty, and fighting for the German homeland and responding to the call of the motherland is a soldier's mission."

"So no matter what our current position is, we will stand together through thick and thin tonight."

"And if you're too lenient with the enemy, the bullets they fire at you won't even turn."

"So tonight we'll loosen military discipline and use any means necessary against the Poles on the list."

"Slaughter them all!"

"I understand, Your Highness." Manstein nodded emphatically. "I will carry it out."

"What about the women and children? They all have families..."

What about women and children?

Joachim also found it difficult to make a decision, so he silently lit a cigarette.

Manstein, aware of Joachim's predicament, offered a toast: "Would you like me to help you make a decision?"

"You can make decisions for me on everything, but not on this one."

"I, Joachim, am not in a position to let my men take the blame for me."

"What does Your Highness think?" Manstein asked again.

"What else can I think?"

Joachim ultimately couldn't overcome the obstacle in his heart; he was still a human being with a conscience.

After finishing his cigarette, Joachim said calmly, "You yourself have been in the trenches. We only shoot men, not women and children."

"Okay, I'll do that."

"There's one more thing," Joachim said coldly, raising his chin. "Everyone must remain silent on the journey. Anyone who dares to make a loud noise or utter any inappropriate words will be dealt with according to military discipline."

......

Time passed slowly, and it was already 8 o'clock.

Władysław and Tepkamer have changed venues several times, but the issues they are discussing remain the same.

The topic was undoubtedly the transfer of German assets in the Poz province. The discussion began with the banks, businesses, shops, and the post-war survival of Germans in the province. Whenever Władysław spoke enthusiastically, the German governor opposite him would always pour cold water on his enthusiasm.

For example, right now, while Władysław is talking about how to protect German expatriates, Tepkamer, with his usual poker face, coldly interjects: "How do you protect those who, like in Warsaw, seize German property together?"

"I heard that Germans there are no longer allowed to speak German; they either have to receive an education in Polish or get out of Warsaw, right?"

This answer infuriated Władysław, who was on the other end, simply because what he said was true.

Of course, besides demanding that the Germans get out of Warsaw, it also included some ethnic violence.

"I acknowledge that there has been some ethnic conflict, but I guarantee that after you and your forces withdraw from Poznan..."

"We will do everything in our power to protect these German expatriates from the harm caused by the Poles."

"Yes, either way is fine."

The German governor across from him still had a poker face; you couldn't read any emotion from his expression.

Just as Władysław said, it was all irrelevant to him.

"Now that all the issues have been settled, let's discuss when German influence will completely withdraw from Poznan."

Although Władysław also felt that Tepkamer's answer today was somewhat unusual, he felt that it was very much in line with the state's decline.

So he's not going to delve into the matter further; his current focus is on finalizing it.

With this great achievement, he can seek a higher position in the future Republic of Poland.

That's why he didn't report to Warsaw today; he wanted to give Piłsudski in Warsaw a big gift, a surprise.

"Whatever, it's fine with whatever you do, whenever you want."

"Anyway, once we've completely withdrawn from here, you can boast to Warsaw and get promoted."

"You might become the next president of Poland before long."

"The next Pilsudski!"

"Why do you say that?"

Wadsław felt a burning sensation on his face when his thoughts were exposed, as if the person opposite him had suddenly slapped him.

He jumped up from his chair: "I did this entirely for the sake of both Poland and Germany..."

"I wonder if there's any possibility of lasting peace between our two countries?"

"Of course, there is no possibility of lasting peace." Tepkamer looked at Władysław as if he were looking at a dead man. For the first time tonight, he spoke the truth: "You took Poz from us today, and it won't be long before we come back."

"Germany, both in terms of size and population,"

"They are far stronger than Poland. We can crush you as easily as crushing an ant."

"Britain and France will protect us."

"What if you can't rely on either of those countries? What if Russia becomes powerful again? Who can you rely on then?"

"Although you have the upper hand for now, we will come back to fight back sooner or later."

"You will have to pay ten times or even a hundred times the price then."

Why are you talking like that?

Władysław was furious at the sudden attack from the German race, because he knew that if Poland could not completely eliminate Germany, then Germany's revenge would be inevitable. So what Tepkamer said was the truth, and it was precisely because he was telling the truth that he could not find a reason to refute it.

So they had to change their approach and criticize the other party: "Why did you so easily use the word 'start a war'? Isn't peace better?"

"When did you Germans become so cruel and bloodthirsty, starting wars at the drop of a hat?"

"Yes, sometimes I've thought about asking that question too," Tepkamer said with a cold laugh, completely unconcerned.

The latter was so choked by these words that he trembled and had no choice but to open the window.

He wanted the cool breeze to wake him up.

A gentle breeze was blowing.

Władysław slightly raised his head and happened to see the bright moon tonight, which at that moment seemed to be stained with a layer of blood.